WASHINGTON, DC – December 2, 2016 – Today, the House of Representatives passed the Fiscal Year 2017 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which authorizes funding and sets policy for the Department of Defense.

Congresswoman Niki Tsongas, a senior member of the House Armed Services Committee, supported the bill. The FY17 NDAA is expected to be considered by the Senate in the coming weeks.

Rep. Tsongas served as a conferee to the NDAA Conference Committee, appointed by Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. The Conference Committee, comprised of appointees from both parties and both chambers, reconciled the differences between the House and Senate drafts and crafted one final piece of legislation.

The FY2017 NDAA contains numerous provisions authored and championed by Rep. Tsongas, including significant provisions to support small businesses throughout the district and the Commonwealth, to combat sexual assault in the military, to support Massachusetts’ military installations, and to provide much-needed resources to women servicemembers. For example, the FY2017 NDAA includes a five-year reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program across all participating federal agencies. The bill also included a permanent extension for the Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF) to accelerate the fielding of new and innovative technologies produced by small companies in Massachusetts and across the country.

Please see below for specific provisions.

Congresswoman Tsongas released the following statement:

“The annual defense bill is crafted each year to support and protect military members and their families, who sacrifice so much in service to this country. The FY17 NDAA takes significant steps to establish policy and provide resources that will keep our servicemembers safe and successful, as well as support the businesses and communities around the country working on their behalf.

“This year’s bipartisan NDAA includes numerous provisions I authored and championed that, among other things, build on effortsto combat sexual assault, modernize critical equipment and boost the economy of the Third District and of Massachusetts by supporting companies performing innovative research and the industry partners developing critical resources for the Department of Defense. The bill also requires the DOD to adhere to longstanding policy in regard to buying American-made products and puts a greater focus on mental health issues in the armed forces.

 

“For example, at the request of a coalition of small businesses located in my district, I strongly advocated for the extension of the SBIR and STTR programs.  The SBIR program is often described as the most successful federal government research and development program because of its proven track record in creating jobs and fostering innovation in Massachusetts and across the country. The program’s success hinges on its ability to provide small firms with small-dollar awards to give them a jumpstart when private financing is unavailable. The authorization for this program was set to expire in 2017, and the extension included in the NDAA will help ensure it remains a resource to small growth companies for the next five years.  Massachusetts is one of the top research and development economies in the world, ranking first among states for patents, R&D, and SBIR awards per capita, according to the Journal of New England Technology. Small firms in our region in particular have been able to secure vital capital through the program, and have used it to grow their enterprise and as a bridge to other financing options. In addition, a provision I supported with Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) resulted in the permanent reauthorization of the Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF), which will help to more quickly bring innovative technologies developed by small businesses into practical application within the Department of Defense

“In regard to the disturbing prevalence of sexual assault in the military, I have worked closely with Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH) to continue developing meaningful legislation to support survivors, strengthen prevention, encourage reporting, and reform the military justice system that too often fails survivors of these crimes. Among other things, our provisions in this year’s bill make it a crime to engage in professional retaliation, require specific training on retaliation for investigators, and provide better survivor access to court information, and brings an increased focus on supporting male survivors of sexual assault.

“The NDAA this year includes legislation I co-authored that requires the Department of Defense to adhere to a long-established law – the Berry Amendment – that provides U.S. servicemembers with American-made clothing, footwear and other equipment. For years, the DOD has been circumventing the Berry Amendment when it comes to athletic footwear for new recruits and this legislation will assure that practice ends. The benefits are widespread, as closing this loophole would simultaneously provide our servicemembers with high quality training shoes, keep business here on American soil, boost job growth in states across the country, support domestic manufacturing and the jobs done by hardworking men and women on the factory floors, and provide a better value to American taxpayers by ensuring that U.S. taxpayer money is spent on high-quality U.S.-made goods.

 

“With long overdue steps now being taken to fully integrate women into combat roles, the DOD must ensure servicewomen receive the same quality resources and protections as their male counterparts. To this end, I championed several provisions in the FY17 NDAA to make sure the Pentagon is providing women servicemembers with state-of-the-art equipment, including gender-specific body armor and combat footwear, both of which will help ensure safety, efficiency and effectiveness in the field.

 

“More broadly, the FY17 NDAA takes additional steps to ensure that all servicemembers are utilizing the most cutting-edge equipment and resources available. This means we must continue to pursue and implement the scientific gains and innovative research that provide modern, enhanced capabilities. Much of this is being done right here in Massachusetts, where military installations like Natick Soldier Systems Center and Hanscom Air Force Base, supported by our remarkable federally funded research and development centers like MIT’s Lincoln Labs, play a critical role in supporting servicemembers and advancing our national security. I am encouraged that this bill includes authorization to begin a $450 million effort to modernize Lincoln Labs’ facilities to ensure that the institution continues to develop the world-class advancements that help keep our servicemembers safe around the world.

 

“As with all bills of this size, there were pieces that I was not happy with. For example, I oppose continued funding for facilities at Guantanamo Bay and support measures to close the detention facility. I will also work with the Appropriations Committee to ensure that we support increases in non-defense spending to match defense spending increases in this bill that have gone above limits outlined in the Bipartisan Budget Agreement. Ultimately, this bill brings together members on both sides of the aisle to fulfill our solemn obligation to protect and support our servicemembers.”

The following is a list of some of the Tsongas-authored and/or sponsored provisions included in the FY17 NDAA:

Support for small business and innovation

 

·         The FY2017 NDAA includes a five-year reauthorization of the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program and the Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program across all participating federal agencies. Since its inception over a quarter-century ago, the SBIR program has increased federal agency access to innovative ideas, technologies and capabilities through its support for entrepreneurs and small businesses. The SBIR program is a unique collaboration, allowing government agencies to fund projects to meet specific agency needs while expanding opportunities for small businesses. Historically, the SBIR program has been instrumental in funding innovative “infant” industry research and development where obtaining private capital is not yet an option. It is often described as the most successful government R&D program, delivering thousands of patents and hundreds of valuable innovations in agriculture, defense, energy, health sciences, homeland security, space, transportation, and other fields.

·         Similarly the STTR program, which was due to expire in 2017, will also be extended for five years. Like SBIR, STTR has expanded funding opportunities in the federal innovation research and development (R&D) arena and has a proven track record of success.

·         Permanent reauthorization of the Rapid Innovation Fund (RIF), which is designed to transition innovative technologies, primarily from small businesses that can be rapidly inserted into acquisition programs that meet speci?c defense needs.

Military sexual assault

Prevent Retaliation and Open Transparency to Expand Care for Troops (PROTECT) Act
This bipartisan legislation, introduced by Reps. Tsongas and Turner, continues the lawmakers’ shared efforts to combat sexual assault in the military.

·         Creates a specific article in the Uniform Code of Military Justice criminalizing professional retaliation against victims and witnesses of crimes, and requires specific retaliation investigation training for Department of Defense (DOD) investigators

·         Requires DOD to report data on sexual assaults against spouses, intimate partners, and children to Congress

·         Requires DOD to create a website where victims, witnesses, and members of the public can access key court-martial information, including docketed court dates, key court documents, and records of trial

·         The Conference report states that “more must be done to address the unique issues affecting male victims of sexual assault” and makes it clear that Congress will continue to very closely watch the Department of Defense’s efforts to support male survivors.

Providing support and resources for women in the military

·         Requires DOD to address the unique body armor needs of female servicemembers through a holistic acquisition strategy and to brief Congress on their plan to provide female-specific body armor

·         Pushes the Army to meet the unique footwear needs of female servicemembers and ensure that the service provides boots that are fitted and sized for optimal performance

·         Authorizes funds and a contract process for the acquisition and maintenance of exhibits for the Women in Military Service for America memorial at Arlington National Cemetery

 

Modernizing equipment

·         Requires DOD to adhere to the long-established Berry Amendment in regard to athletic footwear for new recruits

·         Recommends that the Army set a goal of reducing body armor weight by 20% while maintaining armor effectiveness and directs the Army to brief Congress on the potential for manufacturing of revolutionary fibers, textiles and other technologies toward this end

·         Directs the Secretary of the Navy to thoroughly review the safety and integrity of the  oxygen systems onboard the F-18 aircraft fleet and report findings to Congress

 

Strengthening public-private partnerships to help servicemembers

·         Provides an additional $5 million to support innovative partnerships between the University of Massachusetts, Lowell and Natick Soldier Systems Center to enable students to develop next generations solutions to the military’s hardest challenges

·         Includes $25 million for the STARBASE program to provide STEM education programs to serve students that are historically under-represented in these important fields.  The STARBASE Academy at Hanscom AFB is one of more than 50 STARBASE STEM education programs located on military bases across the United States.  Students from Lowell, Lawrence, and Fitchburg are among some of the communities who’ve benefited from the program.

Massachusetts military installations

Support for research laboratories

·         Makes permanent the ability of the military services to use a portion of their annual funds for defense lab revitalization

·         Affirms Congressional support of the military services’ effort to take maximum advantage of state and local innovation centers located in high-tech innovation centers like the 3^rd District and greater Boston areas

 

Modernization Efforts at Hanscom Air Force Base

·         Extends support for the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) recapitalization program, one of the most reliable surveillance systems in the world managed at Hanscom Air Force Base, and grants full funding of the President’s budget request for this critical program at $128 million

·         Expresses continued Congressional support for the Battlefield Airborne Communications Node (BACN) that helps our servicemembers stay connected to each other in some of the most remote areas of the world

·         Provides over $10 million in funding for a much needed gate project at Hanscom that will provide important security improvements for the men and women working on base.

·         Provides $20 million for new facilities at Hanscom to advance the critical cyber and information technology programs being developed on the base.

MIT/Lincoln Labs

·         Recognizes the important role that MIT’s Lincoln Labs plays in cutting-edge research and development and authorizes planning and design funding that will go toward modernizing the facilities at Lincoln Labs

 
Mental health

·         Requires the Secretary of Defense to work with Veterans Affairs to develop a methodology that measures rates of suicide and attempted suicide to identify areas for prevention and treatment; and report to Congress on efforts toward these goals

·         Encourages the Department to continue work on non-deployment-related brain injuries across the military services in light of the fact that 80% of servicemember brain injuries occur outside of deployment

 

Keeping our commitment to Afghan allies

 

·         Increases the number of Special Immigrant Visas for Afghan interpreters, translators and others who worked on the U.S. government’s behalf in the fight against the Taliban and other extremists groups.

 

Opioid abuse treatment and prevention

·         Requires the Secretary of Defense to report to Congress on how education, prevention, treatment and outreach on opioid prescription drug abuse can improve the readiness, health and quality of life of armed servicemembers

 

 

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